Nasi Lemak Bungkus Daun Pisang - Malaysian Coconut Milk Rice in Banana Leaf

This "nasi lemak" in banana leaf is our family favourite dish. 

Normally if i have mood, I will packed the "nasi lemak" into this banana leaf and the smell/aromatic was so nice that everybody in the house will eat till no more nasi on the leaf! 

I usually make this "nasi lemak" once in a month because the food content high carbohydrate and the fish - we called it "ikan bilis" not very good for those who has high cholesterol.

Here is the recipe got it from RasaMalaysia.com, since i'm too lazy to write it. Dear owner, I just C&P here!

Recipe: Nasi Lemak

Coconut Milk Steamed Rice

2 cups of rice
3 screwpine leaves (tie them)
Salt to taste
1 small can of coconut milk (5.6 oz size)
Some water

Tamarind Juice

1 cup of water
Tamarind pulp (size of a small ping pong ball)

Sambal Ikan Bilis (Dried anchovies sambal)

1/2 red onion
1 cup ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
1 clove garlic
4 shallots
10 dried chillies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste) - I usually don't put this
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar

Other ingredients

2 hard boiled eggs (cut into half)
3 small fish (sardines or smelt fish)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)

Method:

1. Just like making steamed rice, rinse your rice and drain. Add the coconut milk, a pinch of salt, and some water. Add the pandan leaves into the rice and cook your rice.
2. Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water. Fry the anchovies until they turn light brown and put aside.
3. Pound the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, and deseeded dried chilies with a mortar and pestle. You can also grind them with a food processor.
4. Slice the red onion into rings.
5. Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.
6. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the spice paste until fragrant.
7. Add in the onion rings.
8. Add in the ikan bilis and stir well.
9. Add tamarind juice, salt, and sugar.
10. Simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens. Set aside.
11. Clean the small fish, cut them into half and season with salt. Deep fry.
12. Cut the cucumber into slices and then quartered into four small pieces.
13. Dish up the steamed coconut milk rice and pour some sambal ikan bilis on top of the rice.
14. Serve with fried fish, cucumber slices, and hard-boiled eggs.

You can observe from the picture i took - how to fold this banana leaf from my entry here